The Hillshire Brands Co., Chicago, announced plans to discontinue all production at its Florence, Ala., facility, located at 700 S. Wood Ave., by Dec. 30. This decision will impact approximately 1,100 employees.

After a comprehensive business evaluation, Hillshire Brands determined that production from this facility will be sourced from other locations within the Hillshire Brands operations network. Presently, the Florence plant houses breakfast sandwich and breakfast sausage cooking operations.

“Closing our Florence facility was a very difficult decision to make,” says Tom Hayes, chief supply chain officer. “For many years, these employees dedicated themselves to running a quality operation, which they have done exceptionally well. Unfortunately, after looking at our business, we determined that this facility will not allow us to meet our efficiency or long-term profitability expectations. ”

Hillshire Brands will provide severance and outplacement assistance to employees consistent with its company policies. The company will also coordinate efforts with state and local training and employment agencies to help facilitate and ease the transition for affected employees.